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Jere’s 22 Days Vegan Success Story

June 26, 2015

This person participated in a 22 Days Vegan Challenge, in this specific case, the program outlined in The 22-Day Revolution book. The 22-Day Revolution consists of 22 days of carefully planned meal plans and recipes along with 30 minutes of exercise each day. While this consumer actually experienced the results below, individual results may vary based on starting weight, diet and exercise implemented during the course of a 22 Days Vegan Challenge.

Jere’s 22 Days Vegan Success Story

This week’s 22 Days Vegan Success Story comes from Louisville food writer and journalist, Jere Downs. She says she was addicted to the "food coma" she got after eating a late-night pizza or a bowl of pasta, but she recently lost 16 pounds after following a 22 Days Vegan Challenge. When The 22-Day Revolution book (the New York Times Best Seller by our Founder Marco Borges) landed on her desk at The Courier-Journal, Jere decided to give it a try and ever since has been inspiring others with her healthy new lifestyle.

21 Days to Make or Break a Habit

The 22-Day Revolution diet is based off the adage that "it takes 21 days to make or break a habit." By your 22nd day, your body and your eating habits will be so transformed that you won't want to go back. In Jere’s case, downing all those veggies while following a healthy plant-based diet for 22 days brought her some incredible results. She says that her sleep is remarkably deeper and more restful, and her co-workers and family say her skin is glowing. Best of all, she dropped 16 pounds and she can fit into her favorite Lucky jeans, which she hasn't worn in years.

Hello to Healthy Eats

In the book, the plant-based diet that Marco presents was much different from Jere’s usual fare of hamburgers, pork roast and bagels. Since she switched to a plant-based diet, she is enjoying quinoa, rice, beans, salads, fruit, green smoothies and more. One of her favorite smoothies consists of cucumber, spinach, kale, ginger root, carrots turmeric, peeled lemon and an apple. For breakfast, she might have a hearty mix of chia seeds and almond milk, with a touch of maple syrup, but her favorite way to start the day is with two slices of gluten-free toast with some almond butter, along with a generous helping of bananas and blueberries. She didn't have to give up her pizza either. Jere discovered that she could enjoy Marco’s vegan pizza recipe that includes a toasty gluten-free pizza crust, tomatoes, vegan cashew cheese, fresh basil and other veggies.

Inspiring Others to Do the Same

Jere’s success story, especially her impressive ability to drop 16 pounds in just 22 days, has inspired others to do the same. Kentucky State Representative Joni Jenkins, who is Facebook friends with Jere, started her own 22 Days Vegan Challenge after reading Jere’s Facebook posts. During her first two weeks, Jenkins shed 8 pounds on the diet, and said she could see herself maintaining the routine. And just this week, Louisville news anchor Dawne Gee has shared that she is also challenging herself to 22 Days of a plant-based diet. Dawne opted for 22 days of our Vegan Meal Delivery to have freshly prepared plant-based meals delivered to her doorstep every week. Watch Jere and Dawne talk about her new challenge here. We’re so excited to hear about Jere’s success and how her story is inspiring so many others! Thank you Jere!!